3.5 yo zones out A LOT
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Anonymous
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Preschool teachers mentioned to us in a concerned way that our 3.5 yo zones out when they’re doing circle time. We’ve noticed this. When we ride in the car, he’ll stare off into space and be unresponsive to questions. Same thing can happen in the stroller. And if he’s interested in doing something (building, playing, etc) he’ll totally tune out the world.
Mom has some fairly intense ADHD that she discovered recently. Wondering if this that same ADHD that is showing up early or something else. For anybody who has an older ADHD child, did you notice it at 3 or 4 years old? |
Anonymous
| I have two children. Only one has ADHD. This could be a sign of ADHD, but it could also be a sign of boredom or relaxation or deep thought. Absent any other symptoms, I wouldn’t be concerned. |
Anonymous
Don’t want to scare you - read this and see a good pediatrician just in case (although, it is quite rare and hopefully not your case) https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/epilepsy/absence-seizures |
Anonymous
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Some good insights on this thread from several year back:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/704354.page#12459462 |
Anonymous
This was my first thought as well. OP, try to video an episode so you can show your pediatrician. |
Anonymous
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I have ADHD and both my 12 year old son and I do that. He isn’t diagnosed with ADHD. My daughter also did this when she was a preschooler. I remember being so mad when a preschool gymnastics teacher told me that she thought my DD was having absence seizures when she was supposed to be paying attention.
Anyway, I am not completely zoned out when I’m staring into space blankly. I know where I am and I am usually paying attention. It just kind of feels good to do it sometimes. Same with my son. |
Anonymous
| I was going I suggest absent seizures also |
Anonymous
| Get yourself to the pediatrician asap. My nephew had seizures that looked like this. ADHD is a concern too, though less so. Pursue an answer to this. Get to a neurologist etc. |
Anonymous
| Op yes I think what everyone said is true. Good to rule out absence seizures but given mom has adhd that may actually be more likely though as always it could be nothing and just being 3! If one of your questions is whether you can see adhd symptoms as early as 3 - in some kids yes. In my kid yes (now 5 and with diagnosis of adhd recently) but my kid leans more on the hyperactive side rather than inattentive so this wasn't one of the things we saw early. But spacing out and daydreaming can be a big part for kids that have inattentive adhd. I would personally rule out the seizures and then just keep an eye on it over the next couple years. If you continue to notice the spacing out, not responding to name, hyperfocus, then you can get it checked out once a little older. My son started to see a therapist for potential adhd at 3 but his impulsivity and self regulation issues from it were very much impacting his day to day life, otherwise you can wait a little while longer. |
Anonymous
I think it is a good idea to cover all your bases. But it is unlikely to be seizures, based on the fact that OP is able to pin point specific times that it happens. Seizures don’t happen more when you are bored - e.g. circle time and staring out the window. They happen any time. Both my DD and I have ADHD. There is a genetic component and yes, my DD would zone out during circle time and is capable of hyper focus. |
Anonymous
+1 given that there is a genetic predisposition it is probably MORE likely it's ADHD (or nothing) than it is seizures but it is worth it to rule out like you said. |
Anonymous
This is not good information. The reason why parents/caregivers are able to pinpoint absence seizures is because they happen to catch them when they (caregivers) are paying attention (e.g. when child is expected to have a different behavior in circle time, in the car, etc). Absence seizures can occur hundreds of times a day (at the extreme) so IF this is the case for OP's kid, there are probably dozens they aren't pinpointing. Additionally, certain types of seizures are known to be cyclical, occurring at similar times. As a parent of an epileptic, I have learned so much about seizures over the past few years - there is a TON of misinformation out there. |
Anonymous
| My kid was like this at 3. Diagnosed with adhd at 6. Still spacey, but also really easygoing in so many ways since she loves her internal dialogue—e.g. while other parents have to chase their kids down at the beach, my kid will talk to herself while digging in the sand for hours. |
Anonymous
me too, but hopefully not this. |
Anonymous
| I'd get hearing checked too at an ENT. We had no idea DD could barely hear until 3. |